Tis the Season
by Sailor Grape
Summary: HPSS slash.. It may have been a coincidence. It may have been fate. It may very well have been a conspiracy. No parties involved had the guts to chalk it up to a Christmas miracle.
1. Confronting

Title: Tis The Season 

Author: GrapeSmshr

Rated: PG13, just in case

Coupling: HP/SS slashy goodness

Disclaimer: Potter and Snape belong to JKR, but Harry and Sev belong to my heart...

A/N: I sooooo had to do a holiday fic. It just called to me, it did. I must say that I'm quite excited about this fic, too. I'm going to attempt to have it done before Christmas, but I make no promises. Anyway, without further ado, read on and enjoy!

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Chapter 1: Confronting

It may have been a coincidence. It may have been fate. It may very well have been a conspiracy.

No parties involved had the guts to chalk it up to a Christmas miracle.

What started out as an innocent Christmas activity, a humorous and uplifting event, quickly spiraled out of control and into utter chaos. The plan may have been started out as a concoction of Albus Dumbledore's and Harry Potter's, but it quickly grew a life of its own. There was laughing, crying, screaming, hugging, accusing...

And, of course, snogging. Lots of it.

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Harry Potter's seventh year was practically flying by. Before he knew it, the month of December was upon him, which signaled the much anticipated winter break.

Because it would be their last chance to spend nonacademic time together, the majority of the seventh years decided to stay at Hogwarts for the break. Such a thing had always been a safety hazard before, but with the fall of the Dark's terroristic attempts to reign, such an event was now possible.

And Harry couldn't have been more thrilled.

He was quite used to staying at Hogwarts for the holidays, giving halfhearted goodbyes to all of his friends as they left to join their families. He had long since stopped wallowing over the fact that his only blood relatives were a group of ill-conceived Muggles who could give Merlin's left ear about him. His friends had quickly become his real family.

And spending Christmas with his family would be the best gift ever.

So joyous in the holiday spirit was he that, wanting to share his good cheer, he met with the headmaster and devised plans for several festive activities for students and staff alike to partake in. Upon announcing this to said hopefully willing participants, the reactions had been magnanimously positive.

So set into motion many hours of brainstorming and planning by Harry and the headmaster as to the best ways to pull off said activities. They would all be voluntary, of course. Nothing was worse than having holiday cheer forced upon oneself. The second issue was a matter of having professors chaperone each activity, if not for their input and guidance then for the lookout of potential conflicts. Some professors were happy to oblige. Some had to be... persuaded into their chaperoning duties. Either way, each activity was accounted for.

Harry could hardly contain his excitement. He was keeping the activities secret, except from Ron and Hermione, whom he was never successfully able to withhold secrets from. Most students--even Slytherins, though they showed muted enthusiasm-- he talked to were quite excited to find out what the hols would have in store for them.

Currently Harry was in the Great Hall with Ron and Hermione. They had gone to lunch early to finalize the schedule for the next day's activities. Taking advantage of the expanse of empty space, the three took turns casting their newly constructed spells on one another.

As the heavy doors swung open with a resounding echo, Hermione cast a banishing spell on the mess they had made as the three scrambled to sit down at the one lone table that stretched across the center of the Hall.

Stalking into the room, Professor Snape cast a cursory glance around the Hall and, upon sighting the trio, scowled in their general direction. Seating himself at the opposite end of the table, he demanded, "Coffee." A steaming mug appeared on the table in front of him, which he drank generously from.

Gaping, Ron asked incredulously, "_That's_ all it took to get service around here?" He then proceeded to string off a list of foods, growing more determined when nothing appeared on the table in front of him. All the while, Harry and Hermione, who were aware that only school authority figures could call food to themselves, were shaking with silent laughter.

Eyes casually falling upon the Potions Master, Harry's smile softened at the triumphant yet amused smirk that was aimed at Ron. As his attention was turned to Harry, the obsidian eyes darkened, the brooding stare accompanied by a scowl.

Harry only continued to smile at the man, a knowing glint in his eyes. Finally he turned his gaze to his arguing friends, all the while keeping his thoughts on a certain someone whose eyes Harry could feel upon him.

The Hall began to fill up with other students and professors, and soon lunch was served. They chatted amiably amongst themselves, spending time between bites discussing the upcoming holiday activities but not asking Harry outright, as they knew from prior attempts that the wizard would remain relentless in his secret keeping.

After a filling lunch, Harry excused himself to attend to a few minor details for the next day. He made it as far as the moving staircases before he finally acknowledged the person stealthily following behind him. "Was there something I could help you with, Professor?" Harry asked calmly, slowly turning around to meet the subtly flustered gaze.

Snape was still thrown by Harry's uncanny ability to identify his presence even when facing the opposite direction. It appeared to have been a talent that Harry acquired from the final battle, a talent which both unnerved and intrigued Snape.

Eyeing the teen shrewdly, he answered, "I demand to know what plebeian, asinine antics you will have us participating in."

"I apologize, sir, but I cannot reveal that," was Harry's apparently unsatisfactory answer.

Snape bristled, narrowing his eyes as he ground out, "I am a professor, and as a figurehead and a chaperone, I order you to tell me at once."

With a genuinely apologetic but unyielding smile, Harry crossed his arms over his chest as he regarded the man contemplatively. He knew that if he even considered telling Snape, which he absolutely would not, then he would lose a chaperone then and there. And Harry wasn't about to let a vital part of his plan collapse. "I have not informed the other chaperones, but they have all still agreed to help out. I won't do anything to compromise your integrity as a figurehead. Much," he added after a thoughtful pause.

"Potter..." Snape said warningly.

"Sorry, sir, but my lips are sealed."

"Oh, I can find a way to unseal them."

"Really, now?" Harry drawled interestedly, taking a step forward and raising his eyebrows in what could be interpreted by any passersby--or Potions Master--as a suggestive expression.

Flustered by the bold statement and possible innuendo, Snape did the only thing he could think of to do: get angry. "Twenty points from Gryffindor for your cheekiness!"

"But it's a holiday!" Harry protested.

"I don't care!" he snarled, knowing full well that his threat was empty--Albus _had_ forbade the taking of House points over the holiday break, after all--but Harry didn't need to know that.

With a satisfied smirk, the man stalked off down the hallway.

Shaking his head, Harry stepped onto the staircase just as it began to shift. As he was moved in the opposite direction of the snarky man, be called out loudly, "A good day to you, too!"

And he would need a good day. Come tomorrow, the normally reclusive man would be so immersed in Christmas joy that he would be wishing he could actually drown in it. Harry chuckled to himself. It was definitely going to be a holiday to remember.

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Oh, I do so love the beginnings of slashy undertones! Sev won't know what hit him. Or I guess he will... but that's for another chapter. Anyway...

Please review! I do so love to hear your thoughts, and encouragement is quite the motivator, especially since I'm now working 40 hours weeks and all that jazz. I'm going to try to get these chapters up frequently, but it may take a while. Aside from the working, I'm also planning my birthday celebration (on Dec 17, which I'm sure you all wanted to know) and getting ready for X-mas. Funfun!

For anyone reading Born to Be Wild or Misnomer, those two may be on hiatus while I scramble to finish up this one for the holiday. So, sorry about that! But ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

Until next chapter, then. Peace out!


	2. Laughing

Title: Tis The Season

Author: GrapeSmshr

Rated: PG13, just in case

Coupling: HP/SS slashy goodness

Disclaimer: Potter and Snape belong to JKR, but Harry and Sev belong to my heart...

A/N: I cannot express in words how overwhelmed I was with the response this fic got. You guys are amazing! Now, I know this chapter is shorter (and most likely less entertaining) than the first, but it definitely has its moments. So, read on and enjoy!

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Chapter 2: Laughing

The next day started out hectic for Harry. Even though he didn't have anything planned until afternoon, there were still finishing touches to be made. There was a matter of enforcing safety charms so the lower years wouldn't get hurt badly by anything--there was a slim chance of any injuries occurring, but Harry wanted to be safe. There was also a matter of choosing teams wisely so as to ensure cooperation among all group members. Hermione had been key in this, pointing out which students worked well with other students, and which were famous for not getting along. Ron's contribution was, surprisingly enough, coming up with the rules of the event so that everything would run smoothly. Harry was nervous, but he was positive that they would pull it off. They had to.

After lunch, everyone interested in participating was gathered in the front hall, chattering excitedly. Madam Hooch was the chaperone for the day's event, and she was waiting, quiet and curious, amongst the crowd of overeager students.

When Harry and Dumbledore appeared, the students immediately ceased their chattering and focused their attention to the slightly anxious looking teen. Receiving a nod of encouragement from the headmaster, Harry began, "Today's activities are going to require some team participation in order to pull it off. It will take skill, dedication, and, most of all, creative thought." He paused, scanning the eager and impatient faces. "We are going to have a snow figure building contest." As chatter erupted from the crowd, he cleared his throat loudly. When that did nothing to gain their attention, he cast a shrill whistling charm that was perhaps a bit too enthusiastic, as everyone was covering their ears and wincing. Shrugging apologetically, Harry continued, "As I was saying, this will be a team effort, and teams have already been chosen. Hermione, if you would, please."

The young witch stepped forward and turned to the crowd, reading off the teams they had decided upon. The list received only mild grumbling.

"And now for the rules. Ron?"

When Ron faced the now grouped teams, his chest was puffed with importance as he began to rattle off the rules, including no use of magic to help build; allowance for minor charming details at the finish; the inclusion of every team member; and the judging process, which would be done by three professors.

At the conclusion of the rules, Harry led the groups outside and to their designated building spots on the side of the castle. Giving them a three-hour limit, he returned to his own group to get to work.

He quickly surveyed the other six members of his team. There was Ron, Terry Boot, Neville Longbottom, two Hufflepuff third-years, and a fifth-year Slytherin. Hermione had placed herself in a group with her boyfriend, Blaise Zabini. Altogether, Harry's group looked quite promising. He had been about to suggest they try to build a miniature Shrieking Shack when Neville made a tentative suggestion of his own that instantly was agreed upon by all team members, including Harry. So with a plan in mind, they all set to build.

The three hours passed by quickly enough, with finishing touches being added by Terry, who was quite proficient in charms, as it turned out. They completed their project just as Madam Hooch called time.

Harry was quite giddy as Madam Hooch went to fetch the three judges. He knew his mini Shrieking Shack would have gotten a reaction, but Neville's idea would turn out to be even better in that capacity. Oh, Harry could just imagine the look on his face when he saw their creation...

A moment later Madam Hooch returned, followed by Professors Dumbledore, Sprout, and Snape, the latter with a quite sour expression on his face. Madam Hooch spoke with them briefly, then began to lead them from one group to the next.

Harry followed their progress from group to group, curious as to what the other teams created. There was a dragon swishing its tail back and forth, snow blasting out of its snout periodically; a rampaging snowman stomping a miniature city, with a sign saying 'Snowzilla'; what appeared to be an attempt of a Quidditch game but with snow-charmed players combusting mid-flight and spraying everyone within distance with snow; and a few others that were only half-finished.

As the judges approached Harry's group last, the team held their breath, awaiting the reactions. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry noticed Neville shrink back behind Ron; Harry couldn't blame him.

When Snape saw their creation, his face had turned so red that Harry feared his head might explode. The other two judges couldn't contain their laughter.

They were looking at a life-sized Snow-Snape, clad in a frumpy dress, vulture hat, and oversized handbag. He was charmed to shake his fist menacingly and wave the handbag around in a frantic motion.

When the other two judges ceased to contain their laughter, Snape glared at them and all but screamed, "I don't see how this is amusing!" He watched Dumbledore sober, the glint in his eyes twinkling madly. Realization dawned on him. "No. Oh, no. I refused to select them as winners," he snarled, punctuating his words with a withering glare to the offending team.

"You have a point, Severus," Dumbledore agreed, at which both Snape and Sprout looked surprised. "It would be most unfair. So, everyone wins!" he exclaimed happily to all of the groups. "Twenty House points to every team member!"

Speaking out over the cheering students, Snape shouted angrily, "I thought you said we could neither award nor take points during the break." Then he glanced at Harry, who was staring at him in disbelief.

"Yes, but this is a game," Dumbledore explained, and left it at that.

With one last glare at the Snow-Snape, the Potions Master stalked back into the school.

"Excellent idea, Mr. Longbottom," Dumbledore complimented the red-faced teen as he and Professor Sprout followed after Snape.

Hermione approached them, inspecting their work before scolding, "You could have gotten into serious trouble because of this. Although..." She raised her wand, casting a simple spell. Now Snow-Snape repeated in an eerily Snapelike voice, "Ten points from Gryffindor. Ten points from Gryffindor..."

Laughing heartily, Harry laced an arm through Hermione's as the trio headed back to the school. Well, he had definitely grabbed Snape's attention, albeit not the way he had been planning. But it worked out just as well. The first part of his plan turned out successful. Tomorrow he would put into effect Phase Two.

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Hahaha! I have no idea where that idea came from. Honest! I had every intention of giving them a good, old-fashioned snowball fight. Then I thought, well, everyone does that in winter fics, so... I came up with something new!

Unfortunately, I am now certain that this fic will not be finished by X-mas. I have planned 5 more chapters, and there's no way I can belt that out in a little over a week. So, sorry about that. But I promise, it'll be worth the wait!

Thanks to everyone who read and/or reviewed the first chapter. I hope you're enjoying reading this as much as I'm loving writing it! And thanks to everyone who wished me a happy early birthday!

Until next chapter, then. Peace out! 


	3. Crying

Title: Tis The Season 

Author: GrapeSmshr

Rated: PG13, just in case

Coupling: HP/SS slashy goodness

Disclaimer: Potter and Snape belong to JKR, but Harry and Sev belongin my heart...

A/N: I soooo apologize for this chapter taking so long... I've been working crazy hours, so I'm pretty much writing on my lunch break and at night before I fall asleep... In fact, I usually fall asleep on my notebook. Anyway... I know this one is fashionably late, but it's also as long as the last two chapters combined. At least it's not just a blurb! So... read on and enjoy!

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Chapter 3: Crying

That evening, Harry and Hermione were in the dungeons, returning from the Slytherin common room. After Hermione and Blaise started dating, Harry made a cordial effort toward the Slytherins, and vice versa. Since the Death-Eaters-in-training had been weeded out, the House accepted his presence. In time he had befriended quite a few Slytherins.

Even Snape has been more civil toward him. At least, he had been for a while. There was a period when they could even carry on lengthy conversations without any ire creeping through. This was when Harry noticed his budding attraction to the man.

But then, one day, Snape reverted back to a snarky bastard toward Harry, at which point it was next to impossible to carry on a conversation with the man. Sometimes, though, Harry would glance up and catch the older man staring at him, a puzzling expression on his face. Each time this happened, Snape held the gaze for a moment before looking away, leaving Harry much confused.

Sometimes Harry could swear that his attraction was returned, but any potentially incriminating glances always disappeared a split second later. It made Harry wonder if he had even seen them at all. Wishful thinking definitely had been known to play tricks on his brain before.

As the duo turned into the corridor leading out of the dungeons, Harry's gaze happened to stray in the opposite direction. He saw Snape at the end of the hall, looking at a scroll of parchment in his hands. Before he could change his mind, Harry told Hermione, "I'll meet you in the common room in a little while, ok?" Not giving her a chance to reply, he strode off down the hall.

Approaching the Potions Master quietly, Harry waited for his presence to be noticed. When it wasn't, he leaned over and said conversationally, "Interesting read?"

The only indication that the man was surprised was the fluttering of his parchment to the cold stone floor. With a quick wave, the scroll was back in his hand. He slowly turned to face Harry, who had yet to remove himself from Snape's personal space. Heaving a sigh of irritation, Snape growled, "_Do_ find another person to annoy, Potter. My free time is much too valuable to be wasted on a Gryffindor."

"Even an apologetic Gryffindor?" Receiving a blank look, Harry pressed on. "I'm sorry for the Snow-Snape... er, snowman," he corrected hastily as Snape scowled. "It was in poor taste, and I should have nixed the suggestion straight off."

Snape regarded the teen suspiciously. It was uncharacteristic of Potter to apologize. For anything, really. But Snape, even without his old standby, Legilimency, had always been eerily and unexplainably talented at sorting lies from truths. The skill had saved him many a time in his Death Eater days, that was for sure.

And right now said talent was telling him that Potter's remorse was not false. Blast! Like he _really_ needed another addition to his _False Misconceptions About Harry Potter_ file. The mental store had been growing steadily thicker throughout the year, despite his own attempt to quell it.

"Yes, well, apologies are only worth as much as the person handing them out, which, in this case, I'll let you figure out how much your apologies count to me." He finished the retort with a faint sneer, mentally heaving a sigh of relief as Potter took a step back.

But as those green eyes did not lower or harden in anger, only stared more intensely at him, Snape put all his effort into not looking away.

Harry must have found what he was looking for because a moment later he blinked rapidly, then said with a cheerful smile, "I'm so happy you accept my apologies!" With a jaunty wave, he ran down the hall and out of the dungeons before Snape could even process the comment.

What just happened? Did he miss something? Did Potter not comprehend his insult correctly? The Boy Wonder had better not have interpreted his words as some sort of nicety. All he needed was for Potter to think that he had gone soft. And while he did not harbor the same ill will he previously had, he was in no way going to try to befriend the teen.

Even though he had thought about doing so. Even though he had thought about more than just befriending him.

With a groan of frustration, he stalked off toward his rooms, intent on pretending he could forget about Harry Potter.

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"Hold still already!" Professor Flitwick cried out in exasperation. He really was beginning to get somewhat irritated with the teens. After asking them repeatedly to arrange themselves in an orderly fashion, they had proceeded to talk to the people next to them, or fidget, or primp. Finally he had had enough and shouted, "Quiet down!" As everyone looked at him, startled, he said, "Smile!" and a bright flash blinded everyone in the room. Finally! Not for the first time that day, he regretted mentioning to Harry that photography was a hobby of his.

Gathering up his camera, he told the students, "I'll make copies for each of you and distribute them next week. Good day!"

Harry thanked Flitwick on the way out, then addressed the students. "I can't speak for the rest of you, but Hogwarts is like my home, and the students and professors like family. One large, insanely dysfunctional family." This earned some laughter. "Since we'll all be parting ways after the year is up, I wanted to have some memories of all of you, and I'm sure you feel the same way toward your friends. That is why I made a large purchase order for these."

Opening one of the boxes sitting on the floor next to him, he pulled out an object and held it up for the group to see. "This is a Muggle instant camera. Each of you will receive one to capture images of your friends. When you've used all of your pictures, you can turn the camera in to any professor, who will in turn mark your names on them. At the end of the break, I'll be sending them off to a photography store in Edinburgh who will develop and charm the pictures. You should get them back before the end of term."

He proceeded to pass out the cameras and briefly explain how to work them. Then he sent everyone on their merry way, where groups scattered all over the Hall, flashes erupting rapidly.

As Harry approached his friends, he was surprised and confused to see Hermione latched onto Dean Thomas, crying in his arms while he awkwardly patted her back and sent looks of desperate pleading in Ron's direction. But Ron was busy with holding a sobbing Parvati Patil on one shoulder and a wailing Lavender Brown on the other shoulder. Alarmed, Harry asked, "What's wrong, Hermione? Why are you crying?"

At Harry's voice, Hermione broke away from Dean and launched herself at Harry, wrapping her arms so tightly around his neck that he feared unconsciousness. "Oh, Harry!" she sobbed, eyes puffy and red with tears. "In half a year's time we're all going to be separated from one another! And then what? Will I only see you once a year at reunions?" At this thought, she broke into another crying fit, which in turn set off the other two girls into hysterics.

Glancing around, Harry noticed that several of the girls were teary-eyed and crying with their friends. Meeting Ron's gaze, Harry choked back a laugh as the redhead rolled his eyes and mouthed, 'Girls.'

"Smile!" A flash went off in the duo's faces, temporarily blinding them. "Haha! That one is going to be priceless!" came Seamus Finnigan's voice from behind them.

Wiping the moisture from her eyes, Hermione glared fiercely at Seamus before growling, "Run."

With a startled cry, Seamus took off across the room, with Hermione in hot pursuit. Wanting to help their friend against the insensitive prat, Lavender and Parvati followed after them.

"Remind me to give Seamus a thank-you card," Ron grumbled as he stretched his arms over his head, trying to work out the soreness that had settled in his shoulders due to being a human pillow to the two weeping girls.

"I'm with you, mate," Harry agreed wholeheartedly, watching the chase in amusement. He could really hand it to Hermione. The girl could run.

Turning his attention away from the Gryffindors, Harry's eyes fell on Snape, who was glowering in a corner by himself. Whenever it looked like someone was going to approach him, Snape scowled, and the person hurried off in another direction. Good thing Harry was no longer intimidated by the man's scare tactics.

Making his way across the room, he stayed off to the side, figuring that a direct path would give Snape time to run. And he wasn't about to let such a grand opportunity escape.

As he approached, he was greeted with a sneer perfected only for him. "What do you want, Potter?"

Figuring that was as close to an invitation that he would receive, Harry sat down beside him and looked out into the crowd. Everywhere he looked he saw laughing and smiling students in groups, posing for the cameras. Even the professors were having fun, taking pictures with the students or making fun of their goofy poses.

Except Snape, who refused to have fun. Who probably didn't know_ how_ to have fun, besides unfairly torturing unsuspecting students. And Harry could say from a myriad of personal experiences that the fun of such events was not mutually shared.

Venturing a glance at his professor, Harry asked most innocently, "You don't want to be in any of the photographs?"

"That you would even ask me such a question is laughable enough for me to warrant an answer in the negative on both questions," Snape replied smoothly, scowl never leaving the crowd.

"Both questions, sir?" Harry asked in confusion.

"Were you not about to ask me to go take photographs with your thickheaded peers?"

Harry thought about it, then started chuckling. The thought never even crossed his mind. It was indeed hilarious, so much so that he started laughing until he could no longer breathe. "Oh yes," he gasped out, "because your people skills are impeccable."

A trace of a smile ghosted across the other man's lips as he gave a sidelong glance to his still laughing companion. At least the brat wasn't deluded enough to think that the holiday spirit would saturate his person. "I believe that is the first intelligent remark you have made. Ever."

"To you, yes," Harry agreed readily once he stopped laughing. "In my defense, I haven't had many opportunities to display my intelligence in your company, since I was too busy trying not to hex you for taking off points from me every five minutes."

The candidness of the statement diffused any anger Snape would have had at the teen's honestly brutal assessment. Instead, he did something that even many years later would have his fellow colleagues believe he was temporarily insane.

Expecting to be berated for his bold comment, Harry was unprepared for the deep, throaty chuckles that resonated from the older man. All he could do was stare in amazement. He had never seen Snape laugh. It was a strange sight, but the lightened expression quite suited him.

Quieting, Snape glanced at Harry out of the corner of his eye and said, "You've been waiting seven years to say that, haven't you?"

Flushing, Harry looked down and mumbled, "I didn't mean to whine. It wasn't that bad." The comment had just slipped out. He could only imagine what Snape thought of him. No doubt there would be threats of a hefty point loss come the start of the new term.

With a sigh, Snape turned in his seat do that he was facing Harry. "I suppose I may have singled you out more than any other student," he admitted grudgingly, fidgeting slightly. It was a habit he had picked up from Harry, whose fingers tended to clasp and unclasp where he was nervous. A quick glance down showed Harry wringing his hands together.

Harry gave him a calculating stare. Was he just admitting to being wrong? Merlin's left ear! It was a momentous occasion. He briefly wondered if the man happened to be Polyjuiced. But no, Harry had spent far too much time studying Snape to know that it was indeed him.

To the admission his only reply was to roll his eyes and mutter, "Well, that much was obvious. To everyone."

Snape's eyes narrowed. "Watch it, Potter. I am still your professor, and you shall treat me in such--"

"Whatever happened to Harry, huh?" Harry interrupted loudly. Quieting, he continued, "We used to talk all the time, and then you distanced yourself from me. Why?"

At the question, Snape sucked in a breath. He knew the topic would come up sooner or later, but he had been hoping for the latter. "There were certain... factors... that presented themselves to me, and I adjusted my actions accordingly."

"Gee, could you vague it up a bit more?" Harry asked sarcastically. He wouldn't budge until he got a straight answer. It was something he had been wondering about since, well... since Snape once again made a game out of making Harry's life miserable.

Growling in irritation, Snape pinched the bridge of his nose as he squeezed his eyes shut. "This is neither the time nor the place to discuss this."

"So when would be a good time and place?" Harry persisted. If he kept up with his badgering, maybe he would finally get some answers. Or possibly some promises for a hefty point loss in the near future. But he was willing to risk it.

"Harry... I am trying quite hard to--"

"Harry!" Hermione rushed up, panting. "I apologize for interrupting, Professor Snape, but I need to speak with Harry. It's urgent."

"No need to apologize, Ms. Granger. You are only saving my headache from worsening." Rising, Snape strode away from them.

Staring after him wistfully, Harry turned his attention to the ever anxious Hermione. "So what's the big emergency?"

Tugging Harry to his feet, she glanced over her shoulder before whispering conspiratorially, "It looked like things were getting heated between you and Professor Snape. I wanted to save you from his wrath." She linked an arm through his and started leading him back toward their friends.

"Thanks, Hermione. What would I ever do without you?" he murmured.

Get some answers, that was what.

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I must say, this fic is taking a turn from where I originally intended it to be heading. That's not a bad thing, just an unexpected thing. But as I said previously, I do have at least basic outlines for the chapters, so hopefully that'll help keep me on track.

Thank you oodles for all of your reviews! I enjoy every single one of them! And while I have been too busy to send individual thanks, I'll try my best to do so this chapter. You guys mean the absolute world to me, and I love you all to itty bitty bite-sized pieces!

Until next chapter, then. Peace out!


	4. Screaming

Title: Tis The Season 

Author: GrapeSmshr

Rated: PG13, just in case

Coupling: HP/SS slashy goodness

Disclaimer: Potter and Snape belong to JKR, but Harry and Sev belong to my heart...

Posted on: January 29, 2006

A/N: I totally meant to get this chapter out sooner, but it kind of took on a life of its own. Which is not a bad thing, mind you. I had fun with this one. Read on and enjoy!

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Chapter 4: Screaming

"Run!"

The warning caused panic amongst those not already panicking. Everyone was dashing through the entranceway, trying their best to avoid being hit by their shifty assailants.

Apparently Dumbledore had decided to add some holiday cheer of his own. Having apparently bought out the entire stock of the latest Weasley twins product, Mistletoe Missiles, he released them in the school, where they were currently aiming at anything with a heartbeat.

With one arm around Hermione and the other held out in front of him, Ron tried desperately to push his way through the crowd. Unfortunately, the crowd was pushing right back. Even with Harry trying to push past people from behind Hermione, they were getting absolutely nowhere.

Just as he was about to cast a mild stunning spell to make a path of escape, Ron saw a Missile flying straight for him.

"Duck!" someone screamed.

The Missile sailed over Ron's head as he crouched down and pulled Hermione with him. Instead Harry was hit with it in the chest.

"Bullocks!" he cursed as a wispy white chain started tugging him forward to the Missile's first unsuspecting victim. Breaking apart from the screaming crowd, Harry looked up to see Snape in his direct path. _Snape_ was on the other end of the chain? He tried to resist against the chain's tug to no avail. As he got closer to the older man, he called out, "Professor Snape!"

Eyes narrowing as Harry hurtled toward him, Snape raised his hands in an attempt to brace their impact. But to both their surprise, Harry pushed right past Snape and instead landed in the arms of Draco Malfoy. Before they could even acknowledge each other, their lips were fused in a heated snog.

The wispy chain danced around them, growing fainter and fainter until it dissipated completely. As they were released from the Mistletoe Missile, the two teens broke apart in comic fashion, staring at each other in horror. Then they turned and fled in opposite directions.

Luckily, with all of the craziness already going on, no one witnessed the scene. Except for Snape, who was livid. Seething. And damnit, jealous as all hell! With a snarl, he raised his wand and spelled the Mistletoe Missiles into exploding in midair, showering the students with plastic particles and clouds of wispy dust. As they all erupted into coughing fits, he spun on his heel and stalked off down the corridor to go yell at the headmaster. Or, at least, glare silently as Dumbledore rambled on and on about how the Missiles were _such_ a good idea.

Once he caught his breath, Harry asked in a scratchy voice, "What the bloody hell happened?"

"Dunno, mate," Ron shrugged. "But who really cares, as long as those _things_ are gone?"

Shuddering, Harry nodded in swift agreement. He did believe he was scarred for life after having to snog Malfoy.

Even after spending all that time with the Slytherins, he and Malfoy never got along. At first Harry mistook it for attraction to and nervousness around the blonde. But when Malfoy's arrogant personality was factored in, his physical attraction really diminished. He had what Harry referred to as a tainted beauty.

Harry thought of Snape the same way, only in opposite terms. The man was not handsome in the classical sense. He had been a spy or lackey for far too many years to care about something as trivial as appearances. But his soul, while tainted, was still beautiful to Harry. And that was all that really mattered.

OoOoOoO

That evening, quite a commotion could be heard echoing through the stone corridors of the school. At first it was a faint murmur, but it steadily grew louder and louder as they reached their destination: the Great Hall.

The large group of seventh years trooped in, singing carols at the tops of their lungs. Unfortunately, many were singing off-key, and some were even singing different carols from the group. But they were putting their hearts and souls into it, and they were having fun.

The same could not be said about their audience.

As they serenaded the evening diners, most of the professors smiled in polite enthusiasm, while many of the younger years covered their ears to try to muffle the cacophony.

Once finished performing a handful of songs, the group bowed to the polite applause and then sat down at the communal dining table to eat.

After he finished his dinner, Harry excused himself from his friends' company. He and Malfoy had been trading glares from opposite ends of the table, and Harry had had quite enough of the blonde's presence for one day. Or a lifetime.

As Harry was leaving the Hall, a voice called from behind, "Interesting performance, Mr. Potter. Perhaps next time you should hold practice prior to such an event so that the musical stylings of your, ah, choir sound less like screaming banshees and more like melodies."

Turning around slowly, Harry quirked an eyebrow and asked, "Are you volunteering your own expertise on the subject?" The thought of Snape singing Christmas carols--or _anything_, for that matter--was almost enough to make Harry burst into a fit of hysterical laughter.

"As a matter of fact, I was," Snape answered smoothly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Huh?" Harry's jaw dropped. He knew it was a lie. Snape would never willingly volunteer his time for anything except for possibly torturing students. But the fact that he was joking about it--joking with _Harry_--it was almost like the air between them was clear, like these last couple of months were just a hazy, disconcerting memory.

_Almost_.

Composing himself, Harry continued the light banter. "I'm sure we could all learn from your vast experience," he deadpanned.

Corner of his mouth quirking just slightly, Snape approached Harry and said, "You would do well to remember that in the future."

Harry searched the man's eyes imploringly. He got the feeling that there was something more to that statement than what was on the surface. But he was given no time to dwell as a warm, strong hand enclosed around his upper arm.

"Mr. Potter. Harry..." Snape struggled with his words, not entirely certain on what he was trying to say. He couldn't even fathom why he had followed the teen out of the Great Hall in the first place. Certainly the outcome would be less troublesome if he tried to avoid him altogether.

Then again, trouble managed to follow Harry from one day to the next, and Snape was usually sent to rescue the teen, so why should this situation be any different? He also knew that Harry would never let this go until he got some answers. Bloody persistent, he was.

Harry braced himself for... well, anything. An insult. A letdown. He hoped for something positive but realistically, he wasn't holding his breath.

Gathering his addled thoughts, Snape began tentatively, "About yesterday..." And then he paused, mentally berating himself for his hesitation. He was an ex-Death Eater, for Salazar's sake! He was fully capable of conversing with Harry Potter. Continuing in a firmer tone, he said, "I realize that you have queries about our... relations these past weeks--"

"What relations?" Harry interrupted, yanking his arm out of Snape's grip. "I know you're not referring to our relations in class, which are horrendous. And I highly doubt that _relations_ refers to the supposedly inconspicuous staring bouts. Yes, I've noticed you staring at me," he accused at Snape's startled look. He was through with subtleties. They were getting him absolutely nowhere. He always preferred the direct approach, anyhow. "In such instances, I'm assuming you've noticed that the stares have not been one-sided." It was as bold of a confession as Harry would allow at the moment.

At the words, Snape felt his heart clench tightly, lungs expelling air but taking none in. Was Harry just confessing to having feelings for him? Surely not! But that intense, unrelenting gaze openly displayed everything that Harry was feeling toward him, and the raw emotions scared Snape more than anything. Most of his life was spent acting out instructions and pretending like he didn't care. Now that that part of his life was over, he had no excuses not to vocally reciprocate Harry's feelings.

Except for the fact that he didn't know how to do so.

When he received no answer, Harry's eyes narrowed to angry slits. "I see how it is. You're going to pretend we never had this conversation, right? Or maybe tell me that you don't notice that _something_ is between us. Well, if that's what you want, then fine!"

Snape watched Harry storm off in a rage, his eyes staring unfocused at the corner the teen had just disappeared around. It was for the best in the long run. They would both be better off.

So why didn't he believe that?

OoOoOoO

OoOoOoO

This fic is taking quite a spin opposite where I originally intended it to go. Unfortunately, that may mean the next chapter will take a bit of time to write. I need to tie up a few loose ends before I can continue in the right direction. But no worries... I'm working on it!

Thank you to everyone who read and/or reviewed. You guys are my sun and stars, and I love you all!

Until next chapter, then. Peace out!


	5. Plotting

Title: Tis The Season

Author: GrapeSmshr

Rated: PG13, just in case

Coupling: HP/SS slashy goodness

Disclaimer: Potter and Snape belong to JKR, but Harry and Sev belong to my heart...

Posted on: August 22, 2007

A/N: Hmm, these long absences seem to be a theme amongst all my HP fics… But look, I'm back yet again! Ok, so it's almost 2 years later. And ok, so it's no longer the winter holiday. Who cares! I found inspiration once again! Besides, Having Christmas in August is more unique than having it in December, yes? ;) Anyway, read on and enjoy!

OoOoOoO

Chapter 5: Plotting

Harry sat on his bed, angrily drawing patterns on the fabric beside him. He had practically handed a written confession to the man regarding his feelings, and he was rewarded with virtually a slap in the face. He just really didn't know what else he could do to get the stubborn man to accept that they had some kind of connection between them. But he wasn't about to give up. He may be deterred at the moment by Snape's negativity, but Harry's persistence was not wavering.

Sighing resignedly, he opened his trunk and rummaged around until he came across a small object. He turned it over and over in his hand, eyeing it shrewdly and with more than a little affection.

He had informed the students earlier of the following day's activities, which was a gift exchange. The twist was that all of the gifts had to be either made by hand or by magic, which meant no trying to sneak off to Hogsmeade. After dinner that evening, everyone would exchange gifts with their friends.

No trouble came in making Ron's and Hermione's gifts, nor with the rest of his friends. However, the object in his hand had been in production for months, not for the intended person at the beginning. But the more Harry had worked on it, the more he realized who exactly he was customizing it for. He only hoped that it would be appreciated.

OoOoOoO

"Ugh. I wish I was better at Charms," Ron complained to Harry the next morning. He had fire-called his mum earlier to learn the charm for knitting after he had gotten the idea to make Hermione a new scarf and cap. She had been saying before how she needed a new set. Ron swung the idea past Harry, who told him that the gift would gain him brownie points in the thoughtfulness department. _"You and I both know how often you listen to her," Harry had said. "She'll be thrilled you were paying attention to at least one conversation."_ That was all the encouragement Ron had needed.

"Why can't I get this to work?" Ron snorted in irritation at the animated knitting needles, which were, instead of actually knitting, tying the wool into hopeless knots.

"You just need to move your wrist up more fluidly," Harry offered. He aimed his wand at the suspended needles and recited the spell with a graceful wand movement. The needles promptly began working away correctly. He waved his wand again, and the knotted mess vanished. "See the difference?"

"Yeah. Let me try again." With a look of immense concentration, Ron mimicked Harry's movement and cried out triumphantly when the needles began knitting away. "Hey, thanks mate." He sat down across from Harry. "So what are you giving Hermione?"

"The same thing I'm giving you."

"Hmm." After a moment Ron asked, "What are you getting me, then?"

"Nice try, mate," Harry laughed. He had expected the question. All day yesterday Harry watched as his peers frantically brainstormed and attempted to charm gifts for their friends. There had been some hilarious attempts, such as Luna making sock puppets that shrieked and tried to strangle each other. There had also been some disastrous attempts, such as Seamus trying to replicate a laughing gas potion manufactured by the Weasley twins and practically blowing up the Gryffindor common room. Luckily, Hermione had been around to stop the impending explosion.

Harry was thankful that he had inherited his mother's proficiency in Charms; otherwise he would be struggling so much with his Christmas activity. At least, with one particular gift. The other gifts he had made the Muggle way.

"So what do you say, mate?"

Ron's voice startled Harry out of his thoughts. "Sorry?"

"I asked if you wanted to get in some laps around the pitch before lunch," Ron repeated slowly, giving Harry a weird look.

Harry chuckled sheepishly. "Sure. I could use some fresh air. Oh, but first I need to run to the library."

"No worries, mate. I don't trust these needles on their own. Better watch them so they don't screw up."

OoOoOoO

Harry walked slowly toward the library, checking around corners to make sure he didn't run into Snape. He knew he should have brought the Marauders Map.

Exhaling noisily, he wondered exactly what had gone wrong in his hesitant friendship with Snape. As far as he knew, he hadn't done anything to anger the man. But obviously something had happened on Snape's end to cause him to revert back to his snarling self around Harry. Hopefully by that evening it would all be figured out.

Completely immersed in his thoughts, Harry didn't notice another presence until he was being pulled bodily into the shadows of the otherwise empty corridor. Startled, he raised his wand to hex the other person but realized with dismay that he had left it back in the dorm.

"Potter."

Harry recognized that voice… "Malfoy?" he exclaimed in surprise. "What are you doing?"

"Looking for you, actually."

Well, that was certainly unexpected and difficult to believe. The blonde had yet to relinquish his grip on Harry's arm. He almost didn't want to ask, but he had always been too curious for his own good. "And why were you looking for me?"

Draco took a step closer so that he was practically leaning against Harry. "I think you know." When Harry only shot him a confused frown, he sighed and said impatiently, "About yesterday afternoon…"

"What about it?" Harry thought a moment. Oh. _Oh_. "Look, I tried to dodge that Missile, so if you're here to hex me, then—"

"Potter, relax," Draco interrupted. "Hexing you is the farthest thing from my mind."

"Wait, what?"

"Oh, honestly, Potter, you're so daft!" Draco leaned in even closer. "I knew it was just a matter of time."

"Until what?" Harry was growing nervous from the look on Malfoy's face. Plus he was way too close to Harry's liking. He figured if he absolutely had to, he could pull his magic enough to perform a wandless binding spell and then run like mad. But what he heard next shocked him into immobility.

"It was only a matter of time before you and I snogged." He grinned smugly at Harry. "After all, I'm completely irresistible. With your looks and my status, we would be a powerful couple. The most powerful ever."

Harry waited for Malfoy to start laughing. To smirk. To hex him. To do or say _anything_. But the blonde was just staring at him expectantly, and Harry realized with horror that Malfoy liked him. He _liked_ him. All those times they had gotten into a row, Malfoy probably interpreted it as flirting. The thought made Harry want to vomit.

But then he thought about all the times that Malfoy had ridiculed him, hexed him, gotten him into trouble. And the Slytherin part of his brain started formulating a plan. "Wow, you're right," Harry agreed. "You and I fit perfectly together." He mentally applauded himself for making that statement with a straight face.

"Good. So we're in agreement." Draco closed in for a kiss, but Harry ducked out of the embrace.

"Tell you what," Harry said to the pouting blonde. "I have a plan to announce to the world that we are a force to be reckoned with. Look for Hedwig to deliver something to you at the festivities tonight."

"Something good, I trust?" When Harry nodded, Draco smirked in satisfaction. "Great. Until then…" He grabbed Harry and kissed him, short and fierce. Then he strolled off down the corridor as if he had no cares in the world.

Harry watched after him in shock. When Draco turned the corner, he screwed up his face. Forget the library. He had to go scrub his lips raw.

Little did he know that someone had been witness to the entire exchange…

OoOoOoO

OoOoOoO

Anyone wanna take a guess as to who that someone is? Cookies to everyone who is right. Hell, cookies to everyone who reads this! (I just baked some cookies) There are at least 2 chapters left, possibly 3. Hopefully it won't take too long for the next one to be posted. However, I make no promises as I start school next week and am looking for a new job on top of my old one. So… I'll be quite busy. But I'll do what I can to get this one finished, and then I can work on Misnomer, and then I can finally start writing the new one that has been floating around in my head the last couple of weeks.

Anyway, thanks for reading! Please review if you have time. If not, well… I can't say much because I've become notoriously bad about reviewing. But it really does make me smile. I love you guys! Ok, until next chapter then. Peace out!


	6. Gifting

Title: Tis The Season

Author: GrapeSmshr

Rated: PG13, just in case

Coupling: HP/SS slashy goodness

Disclaimer: Potter and Snape belong to JKR, but Harry and Sev belong to my heart...

Posted on: December 27, 2007

A/N: Happy belated X-mas! Ok, so I should technically have finished this fic by now, but… well... life gets in the way. I know all you guys know that. So I decided to put myself in gear and get this chapter cranked out! I've just been super busy with my new job, and school and whatnot… And my b-day was last week, and with the holidays it just makes things insane. I'm happy it's all almost over. So anyway, enough with the rant. Read on and enjoy!

OoOoOoO

Chapter 6: Gifting

"So, what is it?" Hermione asked eagerly, holding up the simply wrapped package and eyeing it scrutinizingly.

"Open it and find out," Harry told her with a grin. "I wouldn't advise shaking it, though."

"Huh? What?" Ron's eyes widened at these words, as he had been vigorously shaking his gift from Harry. And if his gift was the same as Hermione's… He was almost scared to open it.

Ripping open the gift, Hermione squealed in delight. She had received a tin filled with different types of candies that Harry had made the Muggle way. She had only once gotten to taste his confections before, and she and Ron had instantly fallen in love with them. To have a ton of them all to herself was heaven on Earth. "Thank you, Harry!" She hugged him.

At seeing the tin's contents, Ron had opened his own gift and had proceeded to stuff his mouth full of the candies. "Yeah, thanks," he mumbled almost unintelligibly through his mouthful of chocolates.

"You're welcome," Harry laughed, amused at his friends' antics. He had gotten similar reactions from his other friends at their gifts, which were tins of different types of biscuits. The House-elves had been only too happy to let Harry borrow a corner of their kitchen to make his gifts.

So far everyone looked to be having a blast with their gifts. Harry had made sure that every person had gotten something; the students he noticed were not much for joining he had sent a tin of biscuits to—anonymously, of course. The last thing he wanted was an entourage of infatuated students following him around for the rest of the hols.

Harry had received many great gifts in kind. Ron had knitted him a jumper in Gryffindor colors. He figured that Ron had been so enthused about finally learning the spell that he decided to make use of all the hassle. Not that Harry was complaining; it was a pretty decent jumper.

From Hermione Harry had received a photo album of Harry, Ron, and herself throughout their years at Hogwarts. In the margins she had written jokes and funny stories about their adventures. The last page had a photo of them taken after the War, when they had finally found each other on the battlefield. They were embracing one another tightly, all three bloody and dirty and so happy that it was all over. Harry wasn't one to cry, but the photo left him misty-eyed. When he embraced Hermione to thank her for the gift, he had whispered, "I love you, you know."

"I love you, too," she returned with a watery smile before taking her leave to go find Blaise.

"So… did you finish that thing you've been working on?" Ron asked Harry.

"Yes; this morning, actually. I sent it with a school owl before we came here." It had taken Harry hours, but he had finally completed the object he had been working on for what felt like forever. Ron, while not understanding his feelings for the object's recipient, had been supportive nonetheless.

"He's not here," Ron observed, scanning the room. "Not that I expected him to be."

Harry hadn't expected him to be, either. That's why he had instructed the owl to take the gift down to the dungeons instead. He had been quite nervous, actually, which was why he decided not to deliver the gift in person. He wanted the meaning of the gift to sink in before he approached its new owner.

Noticing Harry's apprehension, Ron changed the subject. "So, when are the fireworks going to explode?"

Seeing as Harry kept no secrets from his friends, he had reluctantly admitted to them about his horrifying encounter with Malfoy—both of the encounters, actually. Ron showed his disgust, spewing out choice words that Harry wholeheartedly agreed with. While the redhead was sufficiently distracted by this, Harry and Hermione shared a laugh over how they had both been curious about what being snogged by Malfoy would be like. Harry had confided that it probably would have been enjoyable had the Slytherin not been a complete arse.

"Hedwig should be delivering it shortly." Harry had given her explicit instructions to drop the package and leave without trying to nick any food. When the idea was not readily accepted, Harry had promised to bring her a special meal after the gift exchange. Then and only then did Hedwig agree to not linger.

After a short while the snowy owl flew into the Hall, a large white envelope clutched in her talons. As she circled round the Slytherin table, all conversation tapered off. Of course everyone recognized Hedwig, what with her being the only owl of her kind at Hogwarts. They were all eager to see what Harry Potter was giving Draco Malfoy.

Clutching the envelope, the blonde winked conspiratorially at Harry. He then proceeded to carefully rip the white paper. When he peered inside, he pulled out a smaller red envelope. By the time realization dawned, it was too late.

The envelope split into a gaping mouth that shrieked in Harry's voice, "I snogged Harry Potter, and all I got was this lousy Howler!"

As the words repeated themselves, Draco's expression turned from confusion to horror to anger. He raised his wand and attempted to incinerate the offending thing before remembering that Howlers couldn't be destroyed. He shot Harry a murderous look as he stormed out of the Hall with the Howler trailing behind him, the shrieking being drowned out by the sound of applause and catcalls.

"That was awesome, mate!" Seamus patted Harry on the back.

Harry couldn't wipe the smirk off his face. It was totally worth telling the entirety of Hogwarts that he had—unwittingly—snogged Malfoy. Besides, for all everyone knew, he had just made it up to embarrass the Slytherin.

Hermione, who had scampered back over amidst all the drama, leaned in close. "I don't think he'll be propositioning you again anytime soon," she told him with a snicker.

Hopefully that was true. Malfoy could be a bit stubborn sometimes… Harry turned his attention to the Head table, his eyes drifting over the empty seat. He was relieved that Snape wasn't here for this excitement. While the message was not exactly cohesive to Harry's plan, the thought behind it hopefully superseded that fact. He had it on good authority that Snape thought Malfoy was an arrogant little twit. He had told Harry so during that rare time that they were on friendly terms. This information, he gathered, was not something that Snape would readily share with just anyone, since Draco was his godson. Harry took that to mean that he was trusted more than others on some level. The thought had warmed him at the time. Now it gave him hope that this…whatever they had budding… could be rekindled.

Now all he had to do was wait.

OoOoOoO

It had arrived not ten minutes ago, via a school owl. He had immediately become suspicious and started performing every hex-revealing spell he knew. To his surprise, he detected nothing save a non-threatening thrum of magic that he couldn't quite place but knew he should.

His first guess was that the small package was sent by the headmaster, but Albus had presented his gift earlier—a pair of thick wool socks in obnoxiously clashing hues. Besides that, it had been wrapped in ridiculously patterned paper; this one was covered in simple brown packaging.

Well, he supposed there was no time like the present to see what was occupying the package. He hesitantly gripped the small parcel, pausing only briefly before starting to undo the wrapping. As he tugged the paper away, he was left with a small square box. When he opened the lid, his breath hitched.

In the box was a small gold medallion emblazoned with turquoise and kunzite pieces. He could literally feel the magic radiating off of it. Power. Healing. Protection. Love. Each thread of magic shone diligently on its own and intertwined tightly together. It was an intricately charmed token that must have taken months—possibly years--to perfect. Amulets were immensely difficult to make with even one magical element. To layer on four magical elements was, quite honestly, masterful work. And he knew exactly who had made it, for the magical signature saturated the gold piece.

But what he didn't understand was why it was sent to him, such a valuable and extraordinary gift. It completely contradicted the scene he had been witness to earlier. He was not one to be made a fool, and he wasn't about to sit around and wait for something to happen.

Gripping the box tightly, he stormed out of his room in search of one Harry Potter.

OoOoOoO

OoOoOoO

Woohoo! And let the fun begin! I pretty much have this fic mapped out… It's just a matter of finding time to write the darn chapters! But I'll try my best, I swear! Cause the sooner I get this one finished, the sooner I can finish Misnomer, and the sooner I can start my new project (which you guys are gonna get a kick out of, I just know it). As a side note… I think this is the first year that I haven't worked on a fic specifically for the X-mas or New Year holiday… Well, I still have a few days… Maybe I can remedy that!

In the meantime, thank you for reading! And reviewing! And all of your support this year and the past years and all that jazz. You guys are so completely amazing that I can't even describe it in words. I love you all! Peace out, and I'll see ya in the coming '08!


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